Taking Chances
by Broadwaygirl21
Summary: Rachel is an eleven year old orphan living New York City. Although many people have told her otherwise, she believes that her parents will come for her and refuses to get adopted. When she's invited to spend two weeks in the home of Broadway star, Shelby Corcoran, she is finally happy for the first time. But will an old secret threaten to ruin everything? Finchel, AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I'm very excited because this is my first ever Glee fic. *squeals in excitement* Ok, so as most of you probably guessed from the summary, this is based off of the musical: 'Annie.' I was watching the movie yesterday (1980 something version.) And a crazy idea jumped into my brain. Why not have a Glee version of Annie? It seemed crazy, but I thought more and more about it, and it made more sense! I hope you enjoy this!**

**In some cases, I've had to change slight details for the sake of the story. Rachel is eleven in this, so she was born in 2003 instead of 1994. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee nor Annie.**

* * *

If _the police officer in front of 'New York's Home For Girls' Had been doing his job on the night of December 18 2003, he would've seen a brunette woman, holding a small baby to her chest. But, as usual, Officer Figgins hadn't been doing his job, so the woman was as good as invisible._

_She quietly walked down to the front steps of the orphanage and laid the sleeping baby down, tucking the note in her blankets. A tear trailed down her cheek, landing on the baby's forehead, which in turn woke her up. _

_The woman laid a kiss on her daughters soft cheek. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, her voice cracking. Then she knocked on the door twice, and ran into the shadows of the night._

_The big doors to the orphanage were opened by a chubby and rather large woman. Her name was Mrs. Sweeney, and she had curly blonde hair and a rosy smile. Looking down, Mrs. Sweeney let out a collective gasp._

_"Oh, you poor baby!" She reached out to the baby and lifted her, rocking the infant back and forth. "You're ok now."_

* * *

Eleven Years Later:

Rachel groaned as a pillow hit her stomach and knocked the wind out of the brunette. "Its too early..." She mumbled.

"Wake up, Manhands." A voice called to her. Rachel's eyes trailed downwards to the lower bunk. Santana was standing there, hands on her hips and a sneer on her face.

Rachel sighed, and swung her legs over the rails of her bed. Jumping down, she came face to face with Santana. "Can't you wake me up some other way?!" She protested.

"Wheres the fun in that? Mrs. Sweeney wants to see you." Santana informed her. Rachel nodded, still drowsy from her fitful sleep. She had had 'The Dream' again. 'The Dream' was a recurring memory of a blurry woman dropping her on the front steps. The woman, presumably her mother, had whispered indistinct words that Rachel couldn't understand.

Approaching the door to Mrs. Sweeney's office, she knocked on it a couple of times.

"Come in." Mrs. Sweeney's lilting voice said

"Hello, Mrs. Sweeney." She answered, a fake smile plastered on her face. She knew what this was about and she didn't want to discuss it again.

"Rachel, we've had you in this orphanage since you were a baby. Now, I've loved having you. You're kind and caring and if I'm being honest, you're my favorite." She admitted.

"Mrs. Sweeney, thank you very much but where is this going?" Rachel asked, growing impatient.

"My point is, Rachel." Mrs. Sweeney began. "We've had many prospective parents who were willing to adopt you when you were smaller and you turned them down. Now, we have a new family who is willing to adopt you which, as you know, is very rare at your age. I think you should take them up on their offer."

Rachel sighed. "No. I can't take them up on their offer. My parents are going to come for my any day now! I can't just leave!" She protested.

Carole Sweeney was no idiot. She knew that Rachel's parents weren't planning on coming back anytime soon. But it killed her to see the look on this sweet girls face as another day passed. Sighing, she indulged her and nodded.

"That'll be all." She finished. Rachel nodded, stepping out of the tiny office.

Tina walked up to her and embraced the brunette in a hug. "What was that for?" Rachel asked.

"Rach, I would k-kill for the ch-chance to be a-a-adopted!" She stuttered. Rachel rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Oh, drop the stutter already! It doesn't work on me!" She protested.

Tina giggled slightly. "But honestly, I really think you should give up on this pipe dream of your parents finding you." She said cautiously,

"Its not a pipe dream! They left a note!" Before the two could argue any more on the subject, sharp knocks were heard on the door to the orphanage.

Mrs. Sweeney rushed forward to the door with Tina and Rachel not too far behind. A lady with extremely short blonde hair and a red tracksuit was standing in the door next to a boy who looked to be about their age. He had pale alabaster skin and brown hair which was coiffed up.

"Oh, uh, hello Sue." Mrs. Sweeney Greeted. Tina and Rachel shared a look. Who's Sue?

"Well, hello Carole. Still taking care of the brats, I can see." This so-called Sue answered. "Let me get to the point. I found this orphan trying to steal corn. Here." She shoved the boy into Mrs. Sweeney's arms.

"Sue, I take care of girls." She said, exasperatedly.

"Exactly." Sue answered dryly, whirling around and exiting the musky orphanage. Mrs. Sweeney sighed, and turned to the boy. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Sweeney." She greeted. "And these are Rachel and Tina."

"I'm Kurt." The boy answered.

"Do you mind staying here? I know it's for girls but..." She trailed off. Kurt gave her a megawatt smile. "I don't mind. As long as you have gel, shampoo, and conditioner." He added.

* * *

Rachel awoke with a start. An intense heat was burning her face and she smelt smoke. Her eyes widened as she registered the scene in front of her, and she let out a high pitched scream.

Quickly getting off of the bed, she shook Santana. "Ugh, what do you want Manhands?" She asked.

"The orphanage is on fire!" Rachel shrieked. Santana jumped up and let out a string of colorful curses that made Rachel flinch. "What's going on?" Quinn asked, running a hand though her blond hair.

"Get up!" Rachel yelled. The girls were all separated into different age groups. For example, all five year olds were in one room. In Rachel's room, there were six girls: Mercedes, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Tina, and of course, Rachel. Kurt was recently added to their little group.

All of them began to scream in fear. That is, except for Brittany. "Guys, it's going to be ok! My unicorn says that he can teleport us to safety!" Kurt looked at her as if she'd gone insane.

"Are you suffering from smoke-induced hallucination?" He asked. Rachel shot him a serious look. "No. She's not."

"Alright, listen! We all need to get out of here." Mercedes commanded.

"I agree with Effie." Quinn said. Mercedes glared at her, and Rachel stepped in the middle. "There are pressing issues at hand! We need to get out of here, but the fire is covering the doorway!" She reminded them.

"My hair is very flammable right now!" Kurt informed them

"Rainbows says that she can fly us out the window." Brittany offered. Kurt looked at Rachel quizzically.

"Her unicorn." She explained.

Quinn walked over to the windowsill and looked out. "We can't climb out, we're too high up." She said, dismayed.

Rachel and Tina walked over to where Quinn was standing. "Didn't Mrs. Sweeney tell us that there was a ladder on the right of the windowsill?" Tina asked.

Rachel's eyes brightened as she threw her arms over the Asian girl. "That is genius!" She announced.

Carefully crawling out, the brunette scaled the wall and reached the ladder. Everything was going great until she made the mistake of looking down. Gasping, her hands clammed up and she remembered her fear of heights.

"Rachel, are you sure that its safe?" Kurt asked.

"No, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I'd rather not die, thank you very much!" She answered. The six girls (and Kurt) followed Rachel out, all of them trying to keep their courage.

Rachel's foot slipped and she had to grip the bars tightly to get het balance back. Gulping down the lump in her throat, she kept going until she reached the floor.

She let out a sigh of relief, until a thought occurred to her. _Mrs. Sweeney! Did she get out in time? _Running towards the front door, she stopped when she saw that the whole building was engulfed in flames. Silent tears trailed down her cheeks as she realized that Mrs. Sweeney must be dead. She was the only mother figure Rachel had known, and now she was gone.

"Rachel!" Tina yelled, pulling her away from the flames.

"She was in there, Tina!" Rachel whispered, sobbing loudly. Tina rubbed her friends back, blinking away her own tears.

* * *

Sue paced back and forth. "I'll have you know, I am very busy coaching a cheerleading team!" She roared at the small Indian officer.

"I'm sorry Sue, but my hands are tied! You are Carole Sweeney's only living descendant, and in her will she leaves the girls to you! There's only seven of them in total!" Figgins yelled back.

"My cousin didn't trust me as far as she could throw me! Which wasn't very far, that large build didn't contain any muscle whatsoever."

Figgins closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "You and the girls will reside in the other orphanage." He stated calmly.

"And that is the end of this discussion."

* * *

"I've heard that its haunted!"

"Really? Because I heard that they had to close it down because strange noises were echoed throughout!"

"Well, I heard that someone was murdered in it!"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the silly urban legends about their new home. It was stupid, there were no such things as ghosts! How could they even think about it at a time like this? They didn't even care that Mrs. Sweeney was dead!

She tried to block them out and sleep but, two hours later, she was still lying awake. The others had fallen asleep a long time ago, but Rachel just couldn't bear to close her eyes.

"Maybe far away, or maybe real nearby." She sang softly. "He may be pouring her coffee, she may be straightening his tie." Rachel knew that they were out there, they had to be.

"Betcha they're young, betcha they're smart! Bet they collect things like, ashtrays and art!" She giggled softly at this, a warm feeling over taking her.

"Betcha they're good, why shouldn't they be?" Her face softened slightly. "Their one mistake, was giving up me..."

She sat up, and pressed her hands in a praying position. "So, maybe now it's time. And maybe when I wake. They'll be there calling me baby." She wiped away her tears.

"Maybe."

* * *

**Soooo? What did you think? I'm going to need reviews to keep me going, so you know that little white box in the bottom corner? Show it your love! Please? And I know that the characters are OOC... Sorry! Things will pick up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! Ok, can I just say that I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so much! But.. I have fifteen follows and only five reviews. Can you guys please give me some feedback? Thanks! ;)**

**Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you're liking it. Don't worry, it's going to have some romance, but it's not going to be the main thing. It's basically going to go like Annie goes. With a few twists...**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. And if I accidentally reference something, I don't own that either.**

* * *

_Rachel watched from the corner of the street to the old orphanage. She felt like she wasn't really there. She was a spectator to a movie, a ghost which could not be seen. The moonlight shone on the orphanage door. Everything looked perfectly fine, and that's how she knew it was a dream. Because everything wasn't perfectly fine._

_She was inside 'The Dream.' Her own subconscious creating a puzzle that she had to solve. Rachel felt her breath catch in her throat, as a blurry woman approached the seemingly perfect picture. Rachel couldn't make out her features, but she could see the same dark brown hair__ on the woman and Rachel just knew._

_It was her. Whenever Rachel was transported into 'The Dream,' she just stared at the woman, as if her mere presence had hypnotized her, as if she was under some kind of magic spell._

_Not this time. Running up to the mysterious woman, Rachel tried to touch her. But her hand went right through. Sighing, she took up another approach._

_"Mom! Mother!" She yelled, praying that the woman would hear. "It's me, Rachel! It's your daughter!"_

_"Mom!" She began to sob and brought her eyes downward. Something, however, caught her eye. It was a small tattoo in the back of her shoulder. Rachel could barely make it out, but if she concentrated hard enough, the tattoo appeared to be less blurred._

_It was beautiful, really. It was of a black butterfly, with dark swirls and two golden beams for the eyes. She wondered if it was just her imagination, or if this was actually real. Some sort of vision. _

_A vision? No. She wasn't even sure if this memory was real. But she would remember that tattoo, because it was her only clue so far._

_The woman kissed the baby's forehead and the picture seemed to lose it's perfect touch. Rachel could feel her subconscious awakening and she looked at the woman one more time._

_"Goodbye." She whispered._

* * *

Rachel shot up from the bed like a rocket. She used her raggedy sleeve to wipe away the beads of sweat collecting on her forehead, and quietly got up from the bed. She grabbed her small knapsack with her only possessions. A flashlight, an old wooden hairbrush, some tissues, and the note.

_"Please take care of my little angel. Her name is Rachel. She was born on December 18, 2003. I will be back for her soon. I have left her half of a locket so that I may always know that she is my baby."_

Eleven years later and she was in the exact same spot. Only worse. Mrs. Sweeney was dead, and Mrs. Sylvester was the meanest person alive. Something she hadn't noticed before came to light. There was no 'we' in the note. It was just 'I.'

In 'The Dream' Rachel only saw the woman. Not a man in sight. So where was her father? Sighing, she realized that she couldn't live this way anymore, she needed to find her parents. So she gathered up her knapsack and slung it across her back, tiptoeing across the room.

She was almost to the door, when a voice made her freeze.

"Rachel?" Kurt asked groggily. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just getting a drink of water." She lied, doing so exceptionally well, she might add. Kurt eyed her knapsack. "Oh really?" He asked, unconvinced.

"Fine. I'm leaving. I need to find my parents." She explained.

"Rachel, are you sure about this? Miss. Sylvester will have your head if she catches you." Kurt warned.

"I know. But I have to do this." He enveloped her in a hug, taking the brunette by surprise for a moment, before she too, hugged him back.

Rachel walked over to the door and quietly brought it open. Creeping down the eery staircase, she felt as if someone was watching her. But she kept going.

A hand grabbed her and she had to suppress a scream. "M-Miss. Sylvester." She spluttered. Sue gave her a smirk. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to find my parents." She responded. No use lying.

Sue laughed. "You're an orphan, you have no parents." She retorted. "Now, let's go have a chat with the others. Ok?" She dragged Rachel up the stairs by the collar of her dress.

Turning on the lights, all the orphans groaned. "Well, since you all seem to be so wide awake, you're going to clean this dump until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building." She yelled.

"Why any kid would want to be an orphan is beyond me." She muttered.

"Way to go, Manhands!" Santana yelled. Quinn and Mercedes shot her glares. Tina and Kurt walked over to her, making sure she was ok. Brittany was staring at the wall, and every few seconds she would laugh hysterically and say things like: "That was a good one, Rainbows!"

"I'm sorry. But I just can't stay here!" She said, defending herself.

"Listen, white girl. Just clean and wipe. I'll try not to kill you." Mercedes growled. Santana rolled her eyes as she grabbed the rags.

"Honestly. Who does Sylvester she think she is?!" Quinn argued, picking up the sopping mop and getting to work.

"M-Mrs. S-Sweeney never m-made us w-work!" Tina fake stuttered, earning her a glare from Rachel.

"Yeah, well Mrs. Sweeney is dead." Santana deadpanned.

"And so would we if it wasn't for Rachel's quick thinking. I think that instead of threatening her, we should thank her." Kurt said, standing up for his friend.

"Thanks Kurt." Rachel embraced him in another hug.

"Alright, we just have to clean this place before Sylvester gets back." Santana continued. She did however give Rachel a slight nod, which she took as an apology.

* * *

"So. Many. Sheets." Quinn groaned, stuffing another one in the cart. Santana was lounging around, ordering the orphans.

Rachel was wiping the windows, Tina was mopping the floor, Mercedes was making the beds with the new sheets, and Kurt was helping Quinn with the old ones.

"Done!" Rachel yelled. She collapsed in the cart full of sheets, and was surprised to see how soft it was. Climbing inside, she covered herself fully. If anyone looked inside, they wouldn't suspect that she was in there.

The laundry was taken out if the orphanage. She smiled as a brilliant idea came to her. She could escape like this and find her parents!

"Manhands, I know you're in there!" Santana whispered into the cart. Rachel poked her head out.

"San, please don't tell Miss. Sylvester." she beseeched. "I need to find them." Santana's face softened and she nodded.

"You're secret is safe with me." Then her face hardened. "But if you're parents are rich you're paying me back." Rachel went under the covers, just as Sue entered the room.

"Miss. S-Sylvester, c-can we p-please stop?" Tina asked.

"You think this is hard? Try passing a gallstone, that's hard!" She roared. "Now, what do we say?"

"We love you Miss. Sylvester." They chorused. She noticed that the annoying brunette was gone.

"Where's Rachel?" She asked.

"She had to go to the bathroom." Santana said, covering for her.

They all took the cart down, with the help of the blanket man. Santana whispered to him their situation and Mr. Bundles nodded. "Bye, Miss. Sylvester." He drove away, pausing at the corner to take Rachel out.

Santana smirked at the others once they were back in the room. "Looks like Manhands found a way out." She said.

They looked at out the window in awe, as realization dawned on their faces.

"Lucky kid, she's out there free!" Quinn sang. "Running free in NYC!" Brittany stood On the bed, grinning happily.

"Bet she'll find her folks like that!" She joined in. "Mom and dad right off the bat!"

"It's the hard-knock life, it's the hard-knock life!" Kurt sang as well.

"It's the hard-knock life!"

* * *

"Mrs. Corcoran?" Emma Pillsbury called from her little office. Shelby turned to face her red-haired assistant.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Well, The New York Times cover page was talking about your decision to invite an orphan to spend the week at your home..." She trailed off.

Shelby sighed. "What did they say?" She asked.

"They said that it was a shallow decision. That you're only doing it for your reputation." Emma informed her in a soft tone.

"Great." She said sarcastically. "Will!"

Will walked in, his eyebrow quirked. "I'm not your assistant Shelbs. Don't even think about asking me to go to the publicist or something." He warned.

"As your older sister I have a right to boss you around." Shelby reminded him.

Will rolled his eyes, and took sight of the mousy woman in front of him. A nervous smile crawled onto his face. "Hi, Emma."

"Hello Will." She greeted.

Shelby smirked. "Oh, get a room!" She protested, making both adults blush profusely. She stepped out of the room. There were more important things on her mind then her brothers love life.

"How do I get a better reputation?" She mused out loud. "They obviously think that I'm doing this for the glory, but they'll hate me even more if I don't invite an orphan into my home."

Emma ran in, all flustered. "Ms. Corcoran? The Hudson's are coming tomorrow. They're bringing their eleven year old son." She informed her.

Shelby nodded it off, thinking pensively. She had to invite some raggedy kid to spend two weeks with her, but that wasn't enough.

The Hudson's were famous, they would bring a lot of publicity. If she got on their good side, Shelby would be unstoppable.

Smiling, she dialed the number and waited for the ring.

* * *

**And that right there was chapter two! Looks like we got our first glimpse of Shelby. Yes, I made Will and Shelby siblings. Next chapter: We check in with Rachel, as she makes a new friend. And much more! Lol, that was a really bad promo.**

**Oh, if you can, try to check out my new one-shot, 'Overreacting.' Again review! Only like two of the people following reviewed. Thanks to those that did! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, can I just say that I'm very happy that you're all liking the story!? Eek! *calms down slightly***

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**Guest: Yeah, Finchel is cute normally. But now they're eleven, and it'll be adorabubble!**

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**Disclaimer: We've been over this...**

* * *

Rachel knew very little about New York City. She did know that a lot of people lived there. Day after day, men and women walked under the windows of the orphanage and every so often, someone would walk inside ready to adopt a little girl.

Many times, that little girl was nearly her. But she always refused, knowing that her parents would eventually come for her. She had grown tired of waiting, and she was ready to take manners into her own hands.

New York was loud. Loud and crowded. But Rachel felt strangely at home amidst the large swarms of people. She had this feeling that she was meant to be there, but that wasn't too strange, was it? New York was her birthplace after all...

Since she was in such a state if reverie, Rachel was snapped back to reality when she crashed head on with something. Or rather, someone.

"I'm sorry!" She said apologetically. It was a boy that appeared to be her age, though he was much taller than her. He had dark brown, almost black, hair and deep hazel eyes. On his face a crooked grin was plastered on his features.

"It's ok. My fault completely." He justified.

"No, I wasn't looking where I was going. I-I'm sorry." She was smiling like an idiot now. _Snap out of it!_ She thought, a slight blush creeping up to her cheeks.

"It's fine." He assured her.

"You dropped your..." She trailed off not exactly sure what it was. The boy grabbed the unopened yellow bag off of the floor.

"You want one?" He asked, tearing it open and popping some strange red thing into his mouth.

"What is it?" She asked curiously. The boy gave her a look of confusion, before that crooked grin returned. "They're called Sour Patch Kids. It's a type of candy." Rachel had heard about candy. Once, back at the orphanage, Mrs. Sweeney had been able to get a small bar of chocolate for them and they had all shared it. She couldn't remember the taste now, but she remembered that it was delicious.

"Oh, right. Candy. Of course." Rachel said, nodding as if she's know the entire time. He gave her a dubious look then smiled and offered her one. She took it and carefully bit off the leg. It was delicious! It was sour, but nice. And then it was sweet!

"I love it! It's amazing!" Rachel praised.

"Here." He tossed her the bag. "You can have it all if you want." She stared at the bag, eyes wide. A whole bag of candy? Just for her?

"Oh no, I-I couldn't possibly intrude." She protested.

"Think of it as an apology present. For running into you just now." He insisted. Rachel quirked her eyebrow.

"But I ran into you." She stated.

"Technically we ran into each other." He pointed out. He had dimples when he smiled, Rachel noticed. She liked dimples.

"So shouldn't I give you something as well?" The boy laughed.

"You already have." He said, before turning around and walking away. "Thank you!" Rachel called after him. The boy gave her one last crooked grin, before he reached the corner and disappeared.

Rachel let out a sigh, as her face adopted a happy expression. Maybe she would see him again. She hoped she would!

Then her face contorted and she facepalmed. She talked to him for a whole five minutes, and she didn't have a name or an age. And neither did he. She did have his appearance, but would that be enough?

She hoped that she had made a good impression, but he _had_ given her his candy. Surely that was a good sign! _You don't know him! He doesn't know you! Keep walking, and move on. There are better things to do with your time then daydream. _A nasty voice rang in the back of her head.

It was getting darker by the second, and Rachel sat down against the wall. There was a piece of a felt tarp on the ground, and she used it to warm herself. New York was cold! The lights were bright and beautiful, and there were different names on different buildings.

If/Then, Kinky Boots, The Book Of Mormon? What silly names for buildings! Giggling slightly, she felt something brush against her foot, and shrieking, she jumped up. Santana had told her something about a lot of rats in New York. She could've just been messing with the brunette, but better safe then sorry!

A puppy emerged from the piece of felt, and Rachel's heart ached at it's tiny scraggly body. She lifted the puppy up, and examined the bones poking out of it's ribs. This pup was obviously in poor health. It had white fur with a gray forehead and small spots. It resembled a smaller, kinder, and less wild version of a wolf picture in one of the orphanage books.

"I think I'll name you, Belle." Rachel decided. The banner on one of the funny buildings said: Beauty And The Beast. She recalled Mrs. Sweeney reciting them a story with the same name and the main character was named Belle.

Belle started to shuffle around in Rachel's arms, and she decided that she should feed her. But with what? Looking around, the only thing in sight was a weird little cart advertising something called: Hot Dogs.

They smelled like meat. Not that she's ever had meat before, but she'd smelt it. Keeping Belle cradled in her arms, she walked up to the man with a smile on her face.

"Hi." She greeted. The man glared at her and said nothing. Rachel, slightly taken aback tried again.

"I need one of your hot dogs." She said.

"You got five dollars?" He asked. Rachel shook her head and the guys glare intensified. "Well then, get lost you street urchin!"

On the verge of tears, Rachel was about to turn away. "Hey, don't talk to her like that!" A familiar voice said. She whirled around and came face to face with _him_.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Hudson." He made a hot dog and gave one to Rachel. She took of the bun, and gave the meaty part to Belle. The boy made a sign for two more, then gave him the fifteen dollars.

"Oh, that's really not necessary." Rachel assured him.

"Nonsense. It's totally fine, you're hungry aren't you?" She nodded and thanked him, biting into the delicious food.

She definitely liked New York so far.

* * *

"Emma?" Will asked, peeking into the office. "Are you still working? It's nine thirty!" The red head smiled, blushing slightly. She was wearing a white top with a bow and a blue cardigan over it, paired with a matching blue skirt.

"Yes, Ms. Corcoran has a lot she needs done." She responded.

"Emma, you can just call her Shelby. She may seem a little.. Off at times, but she's a good person." Will assured her.

"Oh, I know. It's just that the Hudson's are coming tomorrow, and I also need to find an orphan and, it's crazy, sheer madness." She confessed. She reached for a pencil, and bumped one of the files so it wasn't congruent with the others. Her eye twitched momentarily, before she fixed it and sighed.

"Alright, if you ever need any help..." He smiled and walked out the door.

Emma smiled. Then focused her attention back on her work. Tomorrow would be hectically insane and she hoped that she was up for the job.

* * *

**Yay! Ok, next chap: Emma goes to the orphanage, Rach gets caught and much more! Lol, I'm getting worse at them.. Review! Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hiya! I'm back! Glad you guys are enjoying this story! But, 26 follows and 15 reviews. thats insane. **

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* * *

_Its ridiculous! _Rachel thought. She and the mystery boy had spoken for the better part of two hours, and she didn't have one teensy bit of information on him! What did that vendor say his last name was? Hider? Hunter? Hudson! He said Hudson. Well, that was something.

When she woke up the next morning, her stomach began to ache with hunger. She reached inside her pocket and ate a few Sour Patch Kids, letting her mind wander to his ridiculously brown eyes. To her right, Belle was comfortably nuzzled up next her. She stroked the puppy's ear.

"Hey, it's the dog!" She heard someone yell harshly. Rachel turned her head, and saw two grown men in camouflage green uniforms, holding a small net, and pointing at Belle.

"Excuse me, little girl." They shoved Rachel aside and grabbed Belle, stuffing her in the net. "Hey! That's my dog!" She protested. One of the men, with curly red hair, adopted a bored expression. "Oh, really? Where's herleash and license?" He asked.

_Her what?!_ She thought. "I left his leash and license at home! Please don't take him! Our father can't see, and we're training her to guide him to work! If he can't work, he can't earn money, and we won't have anywhere to live!" She lied smoothly, surprised at how quickly she thought of that. Realizing that she had made fake tears come to her eyes, she wiped them.

The other man, a raven haired one, sighed and passed the dog to her. "Alright. You've got a dog. Now get home and give him a leash and license." He said.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, sir!"

The two men left, and Rachel walked on by herself, enjoying all the sights. It was early in the morning. She didn't know the exact time, but it was probably around seven.

She was happily roaming free, until she caught a cop staring intently at her. Growing anxious, she tried to walk away briskly, but he followed. Catching up to the short girl easily, he grasped her arm tightly.

"Good morning officer. Anything I can do for you?" She asked good-naturedly.

"Aren't you one of Miss. Sylvester's orphans?" He asked. Rachel shook her head, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yes, Miss. Sylvester told me about you. Said you tried to get away. Now, I don't like that woman, but my hands are tied." Rachel observed him. He seemed nice, but slightly oblivious to the world around him. He was Indian, and Rachel recalled him coming to the orphanage a couple of times. His name was Officer Figgins, she believed.

"I, but, please don't take me back there!" She beseeched.

"I'm sorry, little one." He lead her to he orphanage and knocked on the door. Sue opened, not even slightly groggy at seven thirty in the morning, dressed in a red track suit and drinking some horrifying oozy liquid.

"You!" She pointed, shoving Rachel inside. She glared at her before turning to Figgins. The brunette ran into the living room of the creaky old house, where the rest of the orphans were.

"Looks like Manhands didn't last two days in the real world." Santana sneered.

"Shut up Santana!" She yelled.

"R-Rachel, w-what happened?" Tina asked her. Forgoing her usual glare when Tina fake stuttered, she explained her adventure. Leaving out the mystery boy, of course.

"But you want to know the best part?" She asked with a smirk. They all eagerly nodded, and Rachel brought out Belle from under her rags. Kurt was the first to approach the dog, rubbing her head softly, and hugging Rachel.

Then the girls instantly melted. "What's her name?" Brittany asked.

"Guess." Rachel challenged.

"Rainbows?" She asked. Mercedes rolled her eyes as she looked at the white and gray puppy. "Rainbows? That ain't a name for this mutt!" She said, laughing.

"So how about Champion?" Quinn asked, singing.

Santana chuckled. "Champion you're anything but!" She said. They all glared at her. "We could call her tiger!" Tina sung.

"But there's no bite in her!" Kurt protested.

"Tiger?" Santana sneered. "Kittens would frighten her!"

"Rover!" Kurt offered, standing up on the chair. "Why not think it over?" The girls murmured in agreement. "Rover is the perfect name for this dumb looking pup!" They all sang.

Rachel sighed, walking over to her dog. "Belle. Belle is her name, if you please." She said. When she saw all the dubious looks, she added. "If you don't believe me, ask any one of the fleas."

"Residing on Belle!" She sang.

"True she ain't pedigreed." Mercedes joined in.

"Belle, there ain't no better breed!" They all chimed in. "And she, really comes in handy! 'Specially when you're all alone in the night, and you're small and terribly frightened it's Belle!"

Rachel smiled, as the puppy licked her face. "Belle who'll always be.. There." She finished.

"What is this?!" Sue asked, entering. Rachel quickly put Belle in back of her, but the puppy jumped out and ran to Sue, yapping gleefully.

"There are no dogs allowed. First thing tomorrow morning, this thing is going straight to the sausage factory!" She growled.

"No!" The kids yelled.

Sue turned around slowly. "What was that?"

"We love you Miss. Sylvester." They chorused. "Rotten orphans." She muttered.

* * *

Emma Pillsbury walked out of the limousine and knocked on the door to the musky orphanage. The door opened, revealing Sue.

"I don't give money and I don't buy raffle tickets." She snarled, trying to close the door. Emma stopped her.

"Sue Sylvester? I'm with the board of administration." She said, smiling kindly.

Sue blanched. "I swear, I had no idea that kid was out! She's crafty, I tell you." Emma gave her a confused look.

"I'm here to choose an orphan. I'm the secretary to Shelby Corcoran." She added.

"_The_ Shelby Corcoran?!" Sue asked. Emma nodded. "Miss. Corcoran wishes to invite an orphan to stay with her for two weeks. They'll be there for Christmas." The red head explained.

Sue nodded, and helped her inside. Emma had to refrain from wiping the walls and the floor and basically, the whole building. She saw a boy cleaning a window and a girl mopping the floor. There was one kid in particular who stood out. She was short, had long brown hair and bangs, and dark brown eyes. She was quite average looking, but something about her had piqued Emma's interest.

Sitting down in Sue's office, the two began to talk.

"Now, what kind of orphan would you like?" Sue asked, as if she was asking Emma her order.

"Um, well, Miss. Corcoran just needs, I mean, wants a girl, I guess." She said nervously, not exactly sure how to answer to her question.

Sue shrugged nonchalantly. "It's your funeral."

* * *

The orphanage was abuzz, after seeing the woman with whom Sue was talking to. The six girls sat in a circle, with Kurt in the middle.

"Ok, I heard that she's some kind of assistant to a big-shot actress." He explained.

"Then what the heck is she doing here?!" Mercedes asked.

Kurt shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted.

"I can go check it out, if you like." Rachel offered, stroking Belle. She had found the pup locked in the bathroom and had taken her out.

The group nodded, and Rachel sneaked over to the offices. She listened in on the conversation. "Corcoran... Orphan.. Invite...Two weeks..." Was what she heard. Piecing everything together, she quietly opened the door.

Thankfully, Sue's back was to her, but Emma could see her. "Any specific orphan?" Sue asked.

Rachel looked at her pleadingly, twirling her hair around. "Well." Emma began. "Miss. Corcoran prefers brunettes with brown eyes." Rachel beamed and motioned to her height.

"And, she likes short ones. Possibly 4'5?" She asked. Rachel nodded.

"Hmm, we don't have anyone that short, sorry." Sue said, skipping Rachel's file. The brunette glared at her, and Emma sighed. "Are you positive?"

"Yes." Sue said.

Rachel stepped forward. "Miss. Sylvester, Kurt injured his hands wiping the windows." She said innocently, winking at Emma inconspicuously.

"Well, what about this little girl?" Emma asked, smirking Slightly.

Sue faltered. "Uh, no. See, she's a trouble maker! Uh, a drug dealer." She said. Emma quirked her eyebrow. "You see, she can't go because she's also my little girl."

"Really?" Emma asked. "I remember the board telling me that you had no children." Sue sighed.

"Ok, this kid has got what's coming to her. You can't have her!" She snarled.

"Sue, I remember Miss. Corcoran telling me how many people she had lined up for your job." Emma said laughing inwardly as Sue's eyes bugged out. "Its a horrible time to be unemployed, don't you think?"

"I, uh. Fine." She shoved Rachel over to Emma. "Here, you can have her."

"Can Belle come with me?" Rachel asked, pulling out the puppy. Emma smiled sadly. "I don't think so."

"Then I'm not going." Rachel whispered. "She said that she was going to take her to the sausage factory."

Emma's heart swelled, and she nodded. "Then I guess we can't leave her behind!"

Rachel smiled at the red haired woman. "Thank you!" She said. Emma grinned. "Go get your coat."

"Coat?" Sue asked. "Why would a kid need a coat?!" Emma glared at her, then turned to Rachel. "We'll get you one at Bloomingdales." She told her.

"Thank you Miss..." She trailed off.

"Pillsbury. Emma Pillsbury."

"Thank you Miss. Pillsbury. I'm Rachel." She introduced. "Well Rachel, I hope you're ready for the time of your life!"

"Oh, I am!"

* * *

**Right! Next chapter, Rachel heads over to the Corcoran Mansion, and is greeted by a special guest...**

**Oh, and Im going to Cuba in the last few weeks of July for a month, so I'll try and update everyday Until I leave! But, it's going to be five reviews until the next chapter! Favorite lines?**

**BYE!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! Sorry I haven't been updating... My internet was all sucky. Sorry! But I'm back now! Don't know if I'll be able to update tomorrow. But I'll try!**

**EEK! NINETEEN REVIEWS IN JUST ONE CHAPTER?! Ok, this is exactly what I was talking about! I'm glad you all are enjoying it so much! Naturally, I can't answer them like I usually do. There are so many! Thanks guys, I love you all! :)**

**Oh, and a week from now, I'm going to go to Cuba. The thing is, it's for a month and I won't be able to update. But I will be able to write in my notebook, and prepare many chapters! So don't get mad if I don't update... ILL BE BACK! Lol, T2...**

**I love how most of you just jump to conclusions that the special guest is Shelby. Heheh, she actually is but Uh, Finn is there too! Lol. Oh. And there's going to be another guest. Though, that one won't be a good thing..**

**Disclaimer: Uh, no.**

* * *

As Rachel stepped out of the musky orphanage, holding Belle tightly, she was in a state of utter shock. Words were swimming around in her head and she was trying to decipher it all. She was going to the house of a famous person. A Broadway star? Is that what Miss. Pillsbury said?

Broadway. Great. This was yet _another_ thing she didn't understand. All these concepts were so foreign to her. She had spent her whole life in an orphanage, refusing to get adopted by a 'New Family.' She didn't want a new family. Her family, wherever they were, was what she longed for.

For the umpteenth time, she wondered if the woman in her dream was her actual mother, or a fiction of her over active imagination. Maybe, her subconscious needed an answer, so it came up with this faux explanation to lull her into a false sense of security. Unless...

No. It couldn't be her. It wouldn't be possible for Rachel to remember. She was an infant when her mother dropped her on a doorstep. She was an infant when her mother promised that she would come back. Tears sprung to her eyes, as realization hit her like a ton of bricks: Her mother wasn't coming back. No amount of wistful thinking could change that.

Yet, on every piece if paper she found, she drew the strange butterfly. It had become a ritual, and she couldn't go to sleep without it. She would hug her knees, the butterfly sketch in the middle as she held it. She clutched it as if she were teetering on the edge of insanity. Disownment can do that to an eleven year old.

Disownment? Where did that come from? She was forgetting one very vital detail. Her mother left a note. A note that promised that she would come back. The question was, why hadn't she?

Questions. Questions left without answers. Her mother was like the last piece to the puzzle. A puzzle that she entailed to solve. Small buzzing snapped the brunette out of her unsettling reverie. The buzzing grew louder and louder, until Rachel looked up and realized that it wasn't buzzing at all.

Her friends were all up on the second floor window waving goodbye and madly trying to get her attention. She was surprised to feel tears trailing down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away before Miss. Pillsbury noticed.

The brunette turned around, and waved to her friends madly. Each one was watching from the window, huge smiles on their faces. Well, except for one. Santana's expression was a mix of a smirk and sheer envy. Mostly the latter. But if Rachel had been closer, she would've seen the grin tugging at the Latina's lip.

"Good luck, Manhands." She whispered.

* * *

Bloomingdales was the first stop. If she was being honest, Rachel thought that Miss. Pillsbury was joking when she said that she was going to buy her a coat. No one had ever bought her anything, and she was rather looking forward to the experience.

"Why are we here, Miss. Pillsbury?" Rachel asked, not entirely sure if she could trust this woman.

"I said I was going to buy you a coat, didn't I? And you can call me Emma. I'd prefer it. I just said Miss. Pillsbury because Sue was there and I wanted to seem official." The red-head answered, smirking slightly.

"Emma. That's a pretty name." Rachel answered, making Emma smile.

"Why thank you. When I was little, I used to pretend my name was Eliza, like the protagonist of "My Fair Lady." She admitted.

"What is that?" Rachel asked curiously.

Emma held in a gasp, remembering that this kid didn't have the privilege she had as a child. "It's a musical." Seeing Rachel's blank look, she hesitantly added more information. "A musical is kind of like a live book. You've read books before, right?" After Rachel gave her a vigorous nod, she continued. "In a musical, actors and actresses learn a script and perform it live in a theatre. The writers make up musical numbers as well. 'My Fair Lady' is a musical, which is based off of the play, 'Pygmalion' and-"

"Pygwhat?!" Rachel asked, befuddled with all the new information.

"Pygmalion. It's the name of a play. A play is like a musical, but it has no musical numbers." She explained.

The eleven year old nodded, intrigued. "Any more questions?" Emma asked.

"Just one. What's Broadway?"

* * *

Shelby paced nervously. The Hudson's were coming any minute now. They could make or break her career, and she needed to be prepared for everything they threw her way.

She had heard the stories. 'Oh, the Hudson's are _so_ nice!' But Shelby knew better. She knew a lie when she saw one, and was ready to spot out any fake smiles.

They had a child. An eleven year old boy named Finn. She couldn't for the life of her understand why adults wanted children. She sure didn't! That's when she remembered the orphan that was supposed to stay in her house.

Eyes widening, she recalled Emma saying that the orphan was to arrive this Saturday afternoon. Pulling out her phone, she groaned when she realized that it was indeed Saturday. She had double booked her two most important appointments. _Way to go, Shelby._ She thought miserably.

This was great. Just perfect. Now, she had to have some snot-nosed orphan running wildly around her mansion, while the most wealthy people in New York were staying in her home.

"Shelbs?" Startled, she whirled around. Letting out a sigh of relief, she smacked Will lightly with a pillow.

"What?" She asked.

"They need you back at the theatre." Will answered. "And just to be clear. I will never, ever, take another of your calls again. I'm not your personal butler."

Shelby laughed lightly, hugging her brother and running out the front door. Will sat down, relaxing on the couch. Wasn't this supposed to be his mansion as well? How come he never had a moment to himself?

Positioning himself comfortably, he had just closed his eyes, when the doorbell woke him up.

Grumbling, he rubbed his eyes and got up. His face immediately brightened, seeing the red haired beauty standing in front of him. Lowering his gaze, he caught sight of a short brunette girl, with wide chocolate eyes.

"Will, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Will." Emma introduced, and Rachel looked up at him, smiling toothily. A blue sweater draped around her shoulder told Will that they had stopped by Bloomingdales.

Giving the child a smile, he rang for Drake. A tall, blonde man with a huge smile appeared. "May I take your coat?" He asked Rachel.

Hugging the garment, she looked at him suspiciously. "Will I get it back?" She asked him. Drake nodded, and she reluctantly gave him the coat.

Walking inside, Rachel's eyes bulged humorously. "Woah..." She whispered.

"So." Emma said. "What would you like to do first?" Rachel inspected the house, thinking pensively.

"The windows." She decided. " That way, if I get any soapy water on the floor, I can clean it up later." Emma and Will shared a look.

"No, sweetie. You don't have to clean. You're here to have fun." Will explained, making Rachel look at him confusedly. Drake came back with a dozen servants, and he grabbed Belle, taking her to the bathroom.

"Rachel, this is all for you." Emma added. She still didn't look quite convinced, so the red head did what she thought was logical. "Cecille will pick up all your clothes." She sang.

A raven haired lady with her tresses in a bun stepped up, contemplating Rachel. "Pink is her best color. No orange, I think." She said.

"Your bath is drawn by Mrs. Greer." Another lady, chubby with graying hair, assumed the same position Cecille was in.

"Soap." She decided. "No bubbles, I think." Rachel nodded eagerly, imagining herself laying in a warm bathtub. The adults smiled at her reaction.

"I think I'm gonna like it here!" Emma and Will took her to the spacious room, and Rachel nearly fainted right then and there. Laying on the soft bedspread, she sighed happily.

"Used to room, in a tomb, where I'd sit and freeze!" She hugged herself mockingly, one of the servants pinned an Azalea colored bow on her head. "Get me now, holy cow! Could someone pinch me please?" Seeing several maids approaching her, Emma raised her hands up.

"She didn't mean it!" She clarified.

Running out, Rachel saw all of the servants lined up and smiling. "No need to pick up any toys!" They chorused and Rachel snorted.

"That's okay, I don't have them anyway!" She said.

"No finger will you lift, my dear!" They carried her horizontally, her head resting on a feathery pillow.

"We hope you understand, your wish is our command." They said, making Rachel's chest nearly explode with happiness.

"I know I'm gonna like it here!" She finished as they set her down gently. Belle ran up to her and, dripping wet, leaped onto her arms. Drake came in soon after, saturated.

Rachel giggled, seeing the look of discontent on the blonde man's face. Emma softly grabbed Belle and gave her to Drake, ordering him to dry her. Then lead Rachel back up to the room, helping her change out of the wet rags.

She wore an old fashioned light blue dress with white stockings and matching ballet flats. Pairing it with a beret, Emma untangled her long chestnut colored locks.

"This has to be the best day of my life." Rachel gushed.

"I can imagine. We all really want you to enjoy your stay." Emma said sincerely.

"I've already enjoyed my stay. Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're very welcome." A doorbell ringing made them both stand up straight, and Emma quickly ushered Rachel to the front door, opening it. Shelby stood there, a bored look on her face as she walked inside. Her expression quickly twisted into a fake smile when she saw Rachel.

"Well, hello there." She greeted awkwardly. Before Rachel could respond, Cecille ran up to Shelby and showed her a portrait.

"This is the famous portrait?" Shelby asked in disbelief. "It's not as good as I thought it would be, but I think I'll hang it up in my bathroom. She has a nice smile and I could grow to like her." Cecille nodded, and with the help of others, brought the portrait upstairs.

Turning to Emma and Rachel, she inspected the orphan. "You're a girl." She stated.

"I've noticed." Rachel answered dryly.

"Orphans are boys."

"Well, you didn't specify a gender, Miss. Corcoran." Emma jumped in, sensing the tension. "I brought a girl."

"You can just send me back if you'd like to." Rachel said, a sad smile adopting her features. "I've already had a grand time! We danced, and made Drake mad, and gave Belle a bath-"

"Belle?" Shelby queried. As if on cue, the tiny wolf-like puppy burst through the doors, fluffy and dry.

"Belle." Rachel answered.

"But." The young orphan continued. "I have a nice smile as well, and you could also grow to like me. You can hang me up in the bathroom if you'd like." She tried.

Shelby smiled slightly, and neither of the three heard the sharp knocks on the door. Will, who was in another room, did. Opening it, he ushered the guests inside.

"Uh, Shelbs." Emma, Rachel and Shelby turned to see the Hudson's walking towards them. Rachel's eyes widened and she nearly fainted again.

"Y-you?" She asked. The boy gave her another crooked grin, and Rachel laughed as he ate another Sour Patch Kid.

"What is your obsession with those?" She asked.

"They taste good!" He answered, defending himself and passing one to her. She smiled at him and savored in the taste. The adults in the room quickly glanced at each other in confusion, before they all shrugged it off.

Finn and Rachel obviously knew each other. Sometimes the world had funny ways of working, and this was just another one of those ways.

* * *

**Yay! Who else is excited for the next chapter?! **

**I made this this a bit longer, since some of you requested it! Hope you enjoyed! Also, if any of you have any prompts for one-shots, I'd be happy to take them! I really like doing that!**

** Until next time my pretties! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

***crickets chirping* Uh, hi? Ok, so I realize that it has been a month since my last update... Sorry? I was on a trip, but I got back like a week ago. I just started seventh grade, and we have a lot of homework, I just haven't found the time. I love writing this story, and I haven't given up on it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Annie, or Glee. *wails in a corner***

* * *

Sue sighed as she looked around the grungy orphanage. Disgusted, she stopped one of the orphans. "Hey, you. What do you think you're doing?!"

Tina, eyes wide, looked around. "I-I'm not d-doing anything Ms. S-Sylvester!" She stuttered, slightly frightened by her caretaker.

"Sure, you are. Look at this place! It's a pigsty! Gather up all the other maggots and clean this dump." She ordered, Tina immediately obeying. Sue glared at her retreating form, staggering into her room. "_Little girls, little girls. Everywhere I turn, I can see them._" She sang, shutting all the doors and windows.

"_Little girls, little girls. Night and day, I eat, sleep, and breathe them."_ Groaning at a chewed up piece if gum on the floor, Sue kicked of her shoes and laid on her bed. "_I'm an ordinary woman, with feelings._" She curled upon the comforter. "_I'd like a man to nibble on my ear._"

"_But I'll admit, no man has bit! So, how come I'm the mother of the year?!_" Falling from her spot on the mattress, she nearly gagged witnessing a dirty shoes. "_How I hate little socks, little shoes, and each little bloomer. I'd have cracked years ago, if it weren't for my sense of humor!"_ Running up to her mirror, she tried on the cheap imitation gold necklaces.

_"Some women are dripping with diamonds! Some women are dripping with pearls! Lucky me, lucky me, look at what I'm dripping with... Little girls!"_

Why did her idiotic sister have to go and die?! Worse of all, why did she have to leave her the orphanage?! Just because she loved taking care of these misfits, didn't mean that she did! They were driving her insane!

"_Someday I'll land in the nuthouse! With all the nuts, and the squirrels! There I'll stay, tucked away. Till the prohibition of, little girls!_" Sue was interrupted from her little moment by a continuous knocking on the door. Grumbling, she opened it.

"Sandy?!" She asked in surprise. The strange man in front of her nodded.

"Hello, sister."

* * *

"So, I never found out your name..." Rachel told the boy. He smiled, popping in another candy. "Finn. Finn Hudson. And yours would be?" He asked.

"Rachel. J-Just Rachel." She added hastily, ashamed that she didn't know her last name. Finn's face softened.

"Well, 'Just Rachel', it seems we meet again. Maybe it's fate." Rachel blushed, althought she wasn't quite sure why. They sat in Shelby's library, having tired out from exploring. "Maybe it is." She answered.

Emma walked in, smiling at the scene in front of her. "Rachel, Finn? Dinners ready." She told them in a sweet voice. Finn's eyes lit up, and he helped Rachel get up from the sofa, both of them racing towards the kitchen.

_God, I really hope it's not cold mush. _Rachel thought. Her prayers were apparently answered, for the food she saw was the farthest thing away from anything she had tasted in her life. "Turkey, in honor of the upcoming holiday." Miranda, the cook, announced.

Rachel's face twisted into confusion. Did they mean Christmas? That was the only holiday she'd ever heard of.

"Thanksgiving." Will clarified, sensing her befuddlement. Rachel nodded, not quite sure what this 'thanksgiving' was. Mrs. Sweeney had only celebrated Christmas, she thought that her girls should learn the importance of Christ's birth.

They all sat down to eat: Finn, Rachel, Shelby, Emma, Will, Carol, and Burt. The dining room at the mansion was quite spacious, but they still had to cram Will in between Shelby and Emma. Not that he minded...

"Mm, Shelby, this meal is lovely." Carol praised.

"I'll second that." Finn followed, swallowing large pieces of meat. Rachel, carefully cutting through the turkey, took a tentative bite. Immediately savoring the meal, she finished in a matter of minutes. Still hungry, she stayed in her seat, afraid to get up.

Shelby smiled softly, knowing the face that Rachel was making. She called Miranda over. "Give our special guest another piece." She whispered. Miranda, obeying, put another plate in front of Rachel who, wide eyed, timidly asked if she was allowed to eat it.

"Of course you are, sweetheart." So, the brunette happily chomped up another piece of turkey, which followed desert: Chocolate Cheesecake.

It wasn't too fancy, but it was Shelby's favorite. And, now that she had tried it, it was Rachel's favorite as well.

Overall, the night was a success.

* * *

_Thump!_ A noise woke Shelby up from her light sleep. Groaning, she trudged out the door and walked over to the room in which the orphan was sleeping. _Why did this kid have to come here in the first place?! _She thought.

_It's all Will's fault, he's the one who suggested having an orphan stay over._ Her brain reminded her. A flash of lightning struck outside the window, and Shelby noticed that it was pouring rain outside.

She opened the door to Rachel's room and was shocked to find it empty. A small whimper drew her gaze to the corner of the dormitory, where a small lump was curled up in a myriad if blankets.

"Rachel?" Shelby whispered, moving closer to the pile. A pair of big brown orbs appeared, immediately squeezing shut as another roll of thunder boomed in the distance. Sitting down next to the petite child, Shelby smiled at her.

"Are you scared of the storm?" She asked, gaining a nod from the brunette.

"So was I, when I was your age. But you know what my mom told me? That thunder is just clouds bumping heads." She tried. Rachel quirked her eyebrow in a skeptic manner.

"You're not buying that either, are you?" She let out a laugh. "Neither did I." A burst of lightning preceded by a loud boom of thunder made Rachel snuggle into Shelby tightly. "How about I sing you a song? Would you like that?"

"Yes, I really would." Rachel answered, hopefully. Shelby nodded, beginning to sing.

"_Don't know much about your life. Don't know much about your world, but don't want to be alone tonight, On this planet they call earth."_

"_But what do you say to taking chances. What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, Or hand to hold, or hell to pay. What do you say?" _Shelby's voice rang out, a comfort to Rachel as she listened intently.

A wave of drowsiness began to consume Rachel, as Shelby sang out the last few lines.

"_What do you say to taking chances, what do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or hand to hold, or hell to pay,_" Shelby's eyes also fluttered closed.

"_What do you say?_"

* * *

**Soo, what didya think? Did I redeem myself? Can you guys tell me your favorite lines? Because I really enjoy reading them... **

**Oh, and that was an abridged version if "Taking Chances," obviously.**

**Until next time, my pretties!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bonjour! So, I hope this is soon, you know, life sometimes gets in the way.**

**Oh my Oz, all of your reviews are so freaking sweet! I can't believe all the reviews this story is getting, and it makes me happy. DancerGleek, your review made my day. Honestly, I read it in the morning, and I happened stopped ever since! Thank you so much!**

**I think this is my first story that will reach a hundred reviews, so thank you! I love you all! (In a totally non-creepy way!)**

**Disclaimer: Nope! I don't own ANYTHING. *sobs heavily***

* * *

"Sandy, what on earth are you doing here?!" Sue exclaimed, running a hand through her short blonde hair. Sandy giggled, in a very unmanly way, and brought out some young vixen.

"This is April Rhodes. She's my girlfriend." He explained, kissing the blonde passionately. Sue snorted, but refrained from saying anything. The petite woman extended her hand, which she accepted reluctantly.

"Sue Sylvester. Cheerleading coach, National Champion. Six years in a row." She bragged, a smirk tugging in the corner of her dry lips.

"My little San-San tells me that you take care of orphans.. That's very admirable." April told her, making Sue roll her eyes and resist the urge to gag.

"Yeah, welcome to my nightmare, Abby." She groaned

"Actually, its Apri-" She began, cut off by the tall woman in a red track suit.

"Don't know, don't care." Sue interrupted. "It was my cousin that took care of these brats, not me. What are you two doing here, anyways?" She asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously.

"Well, after old Viola's death, how could I _not_ come!" Sandy answered, innocence portrayed on his face. But the elder woman knew better.

"I'm not giving you any money." Sue dead panned, as April downed a huge silver flask, that she had taken out of her giant yellow purse.

"May I go freshen this up?" She asked sweetly, her green eyes flashing mischievously. Sue groaned, but nodded.

"Don't even _dare_ to touch the Merlot." She warned.

"Oh, of course not!" April answered and, keeping her poker face on, retreated out of the room, pausing to send a subtle wink to Sandy. Sue fixed her glare on her younger brother.

"I'm not giving you any money." She repeated. Sandy raised his hand to his chest and gasped, in mock-horror.

"Oh, Sue. Do you actually believe that I, brother dearest, would one all this way, just to ask for money?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"Yes." The older woman snarled. "And I'm not giving you anything. Not even a nickel for the subway." Sandy shrugged, placing a comforting hand in his sister's shoulder.

"I'm really sorry about poor, old, Viola."

"I feel sorry for me! How dare that wench try to hand me her low-paying-but-high-in-annoyance job?! How is my team supposed to go to nationals in six months?!" She yelled, her face turning a displeasing shade of red.

"Oh, I hear they have a new coach!" Sandy offered. Sue'a eyes darkened, her lips pursing tightly.

"What?!" She growled.

"Yes. She's quite the looker, actually! Now, what was her name again? Riz? Rez? Oh! Right, it's Roz!" He remembered, making Sue fume.

"Get. Out." She said, her voice dangerously low. Right on cue, in strode April, her flask full once more. The couple joined, and made for the door.

"Hey, Abby?" The blonde turned around. "Give me my wine, and give me my jewelry." April groaned, handing Sue the ancient bottle of Merlot she had taken, along with a silver cup, a golden necklace, a diamond ring, and a cheap hair pin. Sue glared at the two, slamming the door in their faces.

She walked over to her room, putting everything back in place, when she noticed something was missing. A wad of cash she had saved up over the years was gone. Screaming frantically, Sue looked everywhere, with the money altogether, there was two thousand dollars! _Where could it possibly be?!_ She wondered.

Suddenly a thought struck her as she let out a wounded shriek.

"Sandy!"

* * *

Everybody in the Corcoran household was at the breakfast table at exactly 8:45 AM, the next morning. Well, everybody _except_ Shelby and Rachel. Will and Emma, confused as to where the pair might be, had asked the cook to serve everybody breakfast.

Finn was upset by the fact that his new friend couldn't come. He had really taken a liking to her... Even if she was a girl.

Will excused himself, heading out to search for his sister and the missing orphan once more. He looked in the kitchen, the bathroom, the five guest rooms, the studio room, the art room, and basically every other room you could think of. Well, except for one.

He walked to the end of the hallway, where Rachel's room lay. Too worried to knock, he barged in, hoping that they were there. His eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Smiling softly, he hated to have to wake them up, but knew he had to.

"Hey, Shelbs?" He whispered. The older brunette groaned, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Shelby." He shook her gently, until his sister opened her eyes in an annoyed fashion. Feeling a weight on her, she looked down and saw Rachel curled up in a little ball next to her. The events of last night rushing in, Shelby found herself smiling, which she quickly hid with a scowl.

"What, Will?!" She asked, feigning irritation.

"Carole, Burt, and Finn are all waiting for you and Rachel." He explained. Shelby shot up wincing, as the little girl began to stir.

"Alright, uh, head down there, and we'll both be there in a few minutes." She said, carefully lifting Rachel's little head and picking her up. She was surprised to find that the eleven-year-old barely weighed anything, as she realized that the orphans were barely fed in the orphanage.

Deciding that the little girl would get seconds to every meal, she shook her just like Will had done to her. "Rachel?"

The brunette opened her eyes immediately, the innocent brown orbs mirroring Shelby's. "Hmm?" She asked groggily.

"Everybody's waiting for us. Would you like to head down for breakfast?" Rachel nodded sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"What do I wear?" She asked.

"What would you like to wear?" Thinking for a moment, Rachel's eyes brightened as she decided on a rosy colored dress. Fetching it quickly, she ran back and put it on. After they were mildly decent, the two hurried to the breakfast table and sat down. Ignoring the questioning looks from Emma, Shelby smiled warmly, her eyes lingering on the tiny girl at the end of the table.

* * *

"So, where can we take our little guests tonight?" Emma asked, she, Shelby, Will, Finn, and Rachel, were in Shelby's humongous study.

"I don't know." Will admitted. "Any thoughts, Shelbs?"

"Uh, yes, that sounds like a great idea." Shelby answered absentmindedly, as she went over some paperwork she needed to sign.

Will rolled her eyes, taking the paperwork from her and holding it up high. "Hey! Give that back!" She demanded, her hands resting on her hips, as she stood up.

"No, not until you give us a suggestion for where we can go out tonight!" Will contradicted, swinging the papers above his head.

"Ugh, I don't know! Take them to a Broadway show!" She suggested.

"Ooh, I like those!" Finn praised, his eyes brightening.

"Are those what Emma said were like the 'Live books with musical numbers?'" She asked curiously, her nose crinkling slightly.

"Yes, exactly. Now, which musical?" The red-head, asked posing another question.

"Wicked!" Shelby answered, right off the bat.

"Looks like someone can't let go of their past." Will muttered, making his sister glare at him evilly.

"I'm serious! I'm sure they'll love it! I can get us tickets, I'm still good friends with the director." She justified. "Then, you ca. Take the kids and I might just get some peace and quiet around here!"

Rachel's face fell. "You're not coming?" She asked.

"Oh, no. I have _way_ too much work to do." Shelby said, finally taking back the papers from Will.

"But you deserve to have fun too!" Rachel protested.

"This is fun for me! I enjoy... Reading and signing thousands of pages. Every. Single. Day." She resisted from groaning, to keep up her act.

"I can tell that you're lying. When was the last time you went out to see a show?" Rachel challenged. "When was the last time you had fun?"

Shelby sighed, she had a point, after all. She hadn't had fun, real fun, in a really long time. Giddy excitement overtaking her, she looked over to everyone.

"Looks like we're going to see Wicked."

* * *

**So, did you enjoy this chapter? I can't wait for the next one, it's going to be great. Well, for me, at least. Until next time! Au Revoir!**

**oh! I changed Carole Sweeney's name to Viola Sweeney, because we already have a Carole, and I didn't realize! Sorry!**

**~ Rae**


	8. Chapter 8

**This isn't the longest chapter. Its more of a little filler... but its something!**

**DancerGleek: You're reviews are always so nice, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, uh, I don't think so...**

* * *

"Got any two's" Rachel asked, slightly unsure whether she was playing the game correctly.

"Go fish." Finn answered, smiling his adorable lopsided grin.

"Ugh, I'm not good at this game!" The brunette whined.

"Yes, you are. You're just a bit unlucky this round. It happens to everybody, don't worry. It's just what happens, you can't win all the time." He told her gently. Rachel smiled brightly at him, taking a cracker from the plate Will had given them.

"So, when do we go see 'Wicked?' That's the name, right?" She queried.

Finn shrugged. "I'm not too sure, I think they have to buy the tickets. My parents and I usually go to the shows at night, so I'm guessing it'll be around eight o'clock." He answered. It was six-thirty, and Rachel sighed, seeing how long they had to wait.

"I've never been to a Broadway show." She admitted.

"Oh. Well, I'm positive you'll enjoy it!" He said, his eyes lighting up. "How come you've never been to a show? Didn't they ever take you in the.. orphanage?" He tread carefully, not wanting to offend her.

"Mrs. Sweeney could never take us places because she didn't have enough money. She always wanted to, though. S-She was really nice." Rachel whispered the last part to herself, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She would never see Mrs. Sweeney again.

"How come you're in an orphanage? I-If you don't mind my asking, that is." He quickly back-tracked.

"No, it's fine." She answered. "When I was a baby, my parents dropped me off at the orphanage. I-I honestly don't know why."

Finn's face softened, as he laced his hand with the brunette's comfortingly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Rachel answered, wiping her eyes. She smiled at him.

"But, didn't they leave you anything?" He asked. Rachel nodded, taking off the broken locket, and pulling out the note from her socks. It was an old trick she'd learned from Mrs. Sweeney: If you don't want to lose something, keep it in your socks.

"They left me this locket, they have the other half. They also gave this note to Mrs. Sweeney." Finn nodded, thoughtfully.

"Can I..." He motioned towards the objects. She nodded, passing them to him. "Please take care of our little girl, her name is Rachel. She was born on October the second. I will be back to get her soon. I have left her half this locket, so that you may always know that she is my baby." Finn read out loud.

"This note isn't plural." He noticed.

"What?" Rachel asked, quizzically.

"The note isn't plural. It's as if one person were writing it." He explained.

"So?"

"So, only one of your parents wrote it, not both of them." Rachel furrowed her brow.

"So the note wasn't written by both, but by one? What does that mean?"

"I don't know." Finn admitted. Before Rachel could elaborate on this, Emma walked in. "Finn, honey, your parents are calling you." She informed him sweetly. Shooting Rachel an apologetic look, before thanking Emma and running out of the room.

"Why don't we go get you ready for tonight?" Emma said. Rachel nodded, skipping out of the room gleefully.

* * *

"Hey, Shelbs." Will greeted, walking into the room. The brunette was hunched over, signing papers while humming a soft tune.

"Hello." She responded in a monotone voice. "Did you get the tickets?"

"Yup, we're at the front. Rachel will be able to feel Christine Dwyer's spit while she yells Elphaba's monologue at Shiz." He answered, making Shelby wince in disgust. "What were you humming?" He asked curiously. Shelby smirked, singing the song out loud.

"_Anything you can do, I can do better! I can do anything better than you_!" Will gave her a playful glare, as he too sang along.

"_No, you can't_." He contradicted.

"_Yes, I can."_

"_No, you can't_."

"_Yes, I can_."

"_No, you can't_."

"_Yes, I can. Yes, I can_!"

"_Well then, anything you can do, I can do greater._" Will sang. _"Sooner, or later, I'm greater than you!"_

"_No, you're not!"_

_"Yes, I am."_

_"No, you're not."_

_"Yes, I am!"_

_"No, you're not!"_

_"Yes, I am. Yes, I am."_ They laughed, as Shelby got up and danced around the room. Will continued:

"_I can shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge_!" Shelby straightened up, her short stature nearly reaching Will's.

"_I can shoot a sparrow, with a bow and arrow_!" She answered.

"_Well, I can live off bread and cheese_!"

"_And only that_?!" Shelby asked, in faux admiration.

"_Yup_!"

"_So can a rat_!"

"_Hey_!" Will protested.

"_It doesn't matter! Because, anything you can do, I can do better! I can do anything better than you_!" Shelby sang.

"_No, you can't_." He began to sing in a jazzy style, signaling that they were nearing the end of the song.

"_Yes, I can."_ Shelby followed along.

"_No, you can't."_

_"Yes, I can."_

_"No, you-"_

_"Yes, I-"_

_"Can!"_ They finished together, then fell down to their knees, giggling. "That is the most fun we've had in a really long time." Will noted.

"Yes, it is." Shelby agreed. "But it's true."

"What is?"

Shelby smirked. "I am better than you."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Face it, Willie. We both got the beauty, but I most definitely got the brains." She answered, earning herself a glare from Will.

"Oh, shut up!"

* * *

Rachel sat cross-legged on the bed. Emma was rummaging through the closet savagely. Choosing two outfits, she showcased them to the tiny brunette. Both outfits were beautiful. One was a light rosy pink, with a long skirt and gold trimmings, and the other was an Easter blue, with a swishy skirt that reached up to her knees, and lace trimmings.

"Hmm, the blue." Rachel decided. Emma smiled, helping her into the dress.

"Thank you!" She said, twirling around the room. The red-head laughed at the little girl's antics, before sitting her down on the bed. Rachel's hair had been plaited into two French braids, which Emma gladly freed from their prison. The chestnut curls fell below Rachel's shoulders in ringlets, as the ginger detangled it.

"There we go. You look beautiful, Rachel." Emma praised, making the brunette blush, as she placed a matching beret on her head.

"Thank you." Rachel answered, putting on black ballet flats. "What are you going to wear?"

"Oh, I'm not too sure whether I'm going or not." Emma answered.

"What?! You have to go! Besides, I heard that Will is going.." Rachel said, smirking mischievously.

"He is?" Emma asked, earning a nod from the eleven-year old.

"Oh. I-I guess I'll go. Oh God! I don't have anything to wear!" The woman ran out of the room, leaving a smiling Rachel to go search for Finn

* * *

**And, that's it for this update! Like I said, this is more of a filler chapter. Its not that good, but I promise next update will be more interesting! I think I got some of the words wrong for the song.. sorry! **

**Until next time, my pretties...**

**~ Rae**


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